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No, You Go First (15) The Wounds

Ao3 | FF.net

The moments following Hiccup passing out were frantic. He slumped forward and Astrid and Stoick were quick to catch him and ease him off of Toothless.

“Stay with Toothless,” Stoick told Astrid. “You don’t want to see this.”

Astrid wanted to fight and insist that she could help, but what could she really do? Just looking at Hiccup’s wound made her weak in the knees.

“But–!” She protested anyway.

“Stay,” Both Stoick and Valka said, Stoick to her and Valka mostly to Toothless.

Stoick carried his son up to his house, quickly being followed by Valka and the ever stalwart Gothi.

Toothless let out a long groan, which made the assembled crowd shuffle and murmur, before laying down on the grass. He bowed his head slightly, closing his eyes, but didn’t seem to try to sleep. Rather, he was probably exhausted. Astrid didn’t know how far he had flown, but he had certainly been gone for a long time.

She stepped up to him and pet his head, sending a new wave of astonished whispers up through the crowd.

“Oh right,” she muttered to herself. “Leave me alone to defend against the village…”

“So who’s this creature?” Said Gobber, hobbling up behind her. “Is that the Nightfury?”

“What was that beast? What is an ‘alpha’?” Someone else asked.

“No,” demanded Spitelout. “Where has my sister been all this time?! Answer me that, Astrid!”

“Did the chief know?”

“What is happening?”

“What happened to Hiccup? I couldn't see!” That one sounded like Tuffnut.

Astrid opened her mouth to call for silence, but her father beat her to it. “Enough!”

He didn’t quite hold the same authority as the chief, so there was still some impatient mutterings.

“It’s clear that Astrid is the only one that has answers right now while the chief is tending to Hiccup. If any of us want answers, we have to go one at a time.”

A loud groan went over the crowd. Patience was not a big viking trait.

“Let’s address the immediate threat.” Axel looked meaningfully to the black dragon at her side.

Spitelout huffed, crossing his arms. He begrudgingly agreed that the dragon in front of them was the most important issue to get sorted.

Astrid looked at the sky, which was not getting brighter, despite being midmorning at this point. The rain still fell, and would continue to do so. This would take a long time to explain, and making sure the village was as comfortable as possible would make this a lot easier. “Let’s go up to the Great Hall!” She suggested. “Get out of the rain, get some mead in our blood…”

“Oh I’ll drink to that!” Someone shouted.

“As long as I can put my feet up…”

“They have the fire goin’ up there, right?”

Astrid sighed as people started trickling over to the Hall. Apparently, her idea was a good one. As long as they were comfortable, it was likely they’d listen better.

Gobber and her parents stayed by her while everyone slowly dispersed.

“Well lass?” Gobber asked, wondering why she wasn’t leaving.

“He needs to come too,” she petted Toothless’ side. “He worked so hard, and he deserves a nice warm fire and some fish.”

“We can get some fish for the beast, right?” Axel asked his wife.

“You’re not serious…”

“It’s our Son-in-law’s pet. Besides, he won me all that gold. I can feed a dragon…” and they wandered over to the storehouse.

Gobber looked over Toothless, his years of dragon expertise making him a little more keen than the others. “Ah, I see a problem.”

“What?”

“This buckle…” He casually reached forward and touched Toothless’ hide, right by his saddle. “Looks melted. It’ll be impossible to take the saddle off. More importantly, it might have melted to his scales. I’ll get a few tools and meet you both at the Hall.”

It was rather interesting, she supposed, that some people just needed to know Hiccup was behind the idea to come around.

Though she supposed some people had an immediate distrust because of Hiccup.

The village had really flip-flopped on him in the last year.

“Toothless,” she prodded, gently petting his head.

He blinked up at her, listening, but still so exhausted.

“I know you don’t want to move, but there’s a nice big room on the hill that is dry, and it has a fire going…and we’ll get some fish for you.”

Apparently that sounded good, as Toothless stood up and stretched, his wings fanning all the way out and trembling at the effort. Then he looked at her for guidance.

Astrid led him up to the Grand Hall. Folks were still making their way up, but paused to watch as Toothless passed. Everyone gave him a wide berth, but no one seemed actively hostile. Some even spared a smile. It probably helped that Toothless was wobbling on his feet and fighting to keep his eyes open.

In the Hall, Astrid led Toothless right up to the firepit. “Here bud, nice and warm.”

Toothless yawned and stretched again, before making a circle around the pit, trying to find the most comfortable place. He ended up plopping in front of it, sitting with his paws tucked under him, like a cat.

The assembled villagers watched, utterly fascinated. None of them had ever seen a dragon curl up to sleep. To them, Dragons were full of power and terror and fire from the sky.

Once Toothless was settled, people resumed conversation slowly. Most people kept their eye on him, but as he sat still, there was not much to observe.

“Alright, I think I figured it out!” Gobber called, making Toothless twitch. “This will get that saddle off!” He had a big pair of metal scissors, a chisel, and a hammer.

Astrid grimaced as Gobber casually walked up to the Nightfury and started prodding him. Toothless was docile, but even he had his limits.

Not today, it seemed. Gobber cut the straps off the saddle and removed most of it, but then he went in with the chisel and knocked the melted metal free, taking a fair amount of scales off in the process. Toothless let out a little whimper, but didn’t even open his eyes.

“There we go. All done!” Gobber gathered the charred saddle and melted control rods and fin into a pile. “Well, I’ll have some work to do with that. Don’t think it’s salvageable.” He told the dragon.

Toothless yawned again and stretched his paws in front of him, then rested his head on them.

“‘E’s kinda cute…in a big reptilian sort of way.”

“He’s a big softy,” Astrid assured. She looked around the Hall again, gauging the crowd.

It looked like everyone was here. People were drinking mead or hot tea, some had even brought their breakfasts. She noticed many people were leaning against the tables, no doubt relaxing after the hard fought raid.

Her parents arrived a moment later, bringing a basket of fish forward and offering it to Toothless.

Toothless raised his head and stole a fish, his eyes barely open.

“Poor thing’s so tired he can’t even eat,” chuckled Phlegma.

Astrid took this as a sign to get started, and climbed up on a table. She put her hands on her hips and stood tall. “Alright everyone, have a seat.”

The conversation settled down, and some of the few standing folks sat. Still, it seemed those in the very back were not relaxed at all, and ready to run in a moment’s notice.

They could do what they wanted, she supposed.

“His name is Toothless,” Astrid began, gesturing to him. “Because he has retractable teeth. Do you all remember that night Hiccup claimed to have shot down a Nightfury?”

There seemed to be no recognition as people slowly shook their heads.

“Oh come on, really? It was only…” had it been a year already? “Anyways, he made this device that threw a bola out and knocked Toothless out of the sky.”

“The Mutilator!” Gobber snapped his fingers. “Oh he worked on that for months! Then a Nightmare stepped on it, and he scrapped it. He was so gung-ho about it, I always wondered why he’d abandon it so easily…”

“May I continue?” Astrid asked, with a glare.

“Eh, sure.”

Rolling her eyes, she went on. “Then, Hiccup went to the woods to kill the Nightfury, but, as Hiccup put it, ‘saw him in pain and couldn’t kill him’. But, he had ripped his tailfin off, so Toothless could no longer fly. He took refuge in the cove out by Raven’s Point.”

Toothless blearily opened one eye, and saw everyone sitting down, still staring at him, but not poised to attack. He decided it was safe enough and took the opportunity to roll over, tummy up, and scratch his hide on the hard rock before falling asleep.

“Aw,” said Fishlegs. “He’s like a big scaly cat!”

Astrid smiled at him, and then continued. “Hiccup decided then that he couldn’t go through with dragon training, and came home and told his father as much. Though, I suspect he gave a different reason. They came to an agreement, that if Hiccup worked in the forge and studied the dragons for weaknesses in his freetime, he didn’t have to go through dragon training.”

The crowd murmured at that, people remembering Hiccup’s absence from last season’s dragon training class.

“At some point, Hiccup came clean to his father. Though I don’t know the specifics, I know that Stoick eventually agreed it was smart for Hiccup to have Toothless as…well, a guard dog. Despite kicking Snotlout’s ass a few days ago—”

“Hey!”

“Hiccup’s never been one for fighting. Toothless would protect him from other dragons, or the Outcasts, or other enemies of Berk.”

“Really?” An old man, Mildew, from the back of the crowd heckled. “I doubt our chief would allow a dragon to be around his son! Much less, a lame one that was an easy kill!”

Astrid remained calm, brushing off this comment. “Again, I wasn’t there. I don’t know what Hiccup said to convince Stoick. But I do know that Toothless is where Hiccup learned about the eels.”

More murmurings. Things were starting to make sense.

“I met Toothless sometime after my…incident with the Monstrous Nightmare in the ring.” She rubbed her arm. “Hiccup introduced us to cheer me up. I was wary of him at first too, very much so. But Hiccup assured me he was friendly…and he took me for a flight.”

It seemed like the mere idea stirred up a mix of emotions. Some disgust and horror, and some curiosity and fascination.

The twins were the first to jump to their feet, grinning maniacally and enthusiastically. “We volunteer to be dragon riders!” Said Tuffnut. “Just imagine! Us! On dragonback! Soaring, blasting…it would be a match made in Valhalla!”

“Absolutely not!” Their mother shouted. “You two are too much of a hazard on the ground!”

“Okay…” they sighed, dropping their shoulders. But they both sent conspiratorial winks at Astrid.

“As I was saying—”

A squawk sang through the air, as a blue Nadder led a group of dragons to sit outside the door of the Hall, drawn by the light and heat. The other three dragons, a Gronkle, Zippleback, and Nightmare all looked familiar, though Astrid couldn’t place them. The dragons lazily and peacefully settled in the doorway. The Gronckle waddled in, and approached Toothless. It gave him a lick to the face, waking Toothless up briefly.

“Oh!” Astrid figured it out then. “Stormfly, did you find your friends from the arena?” And she walked up and petted the Nadder like it was a large dog.

“...from the arena?” Gobber questioned. “Wait…it was you!” He shouted.

“Who let the dragons out of the arena? Sure was!” She smirked.

“Hey no fair!” Ruffnut bitched, “We got grounded for three weeks for that!”

“Yeah!” Hollered Tuffnut. “I mean, totally awesome prank, and we totally would have done it, but it’s super unfair we got punished for something we didn’t get to enjoy.”

Ma Thornston slammed her two children’s heads together, silencing them.

“So you learned how to domesticate the beasts,” said Spitelout, coming forward. “Good, wonderful, we can use all the help we can get. But what of my sister, Astrid?!”

Astrid nodded to him. “Yes Spitelout, I’m just about to get to her.”

The Gronckle bothering Toothless gave a little chattering noise at the Nightmare and the Zippleback, then the three of them left together out into the storm. Stormfly remained, sitting patiently like a chicken at the door, but not blocking it so that people could come and go.

Astrid pet her fondly. “Stoick believed that they might have a better chance at finding the nest if they went scouting on dragon back—”

“Stoick the Vast? On a dragon? You’re joking!” Gobber laughed.

“I’m not!” She stomped her foot. “And I would have gone too, but someone bet my hand into marriage to another boy!” She glared at Axel.

He shrugged. “I thought we were over this?”

Astrid smirked and persisted, “They traveled North, and eventually found another nest. Apparently, when Valka was taken all those years ago, she was taken to a different nest than…that one’s.” She gestured vaguely in the direction they saw the previous Queen leave. “This other nest was less hostile, and Valka survived there, living with the dragons, befriending them…when Hiccup and Stoick found her, they persuaded her to come home, but just to the cove. She had too many reservations about joining the tribe while we were at war with the dragons.”

Spitelout’s nose flared. “She cared more about those beasts than her family? Than her people?”

“You are exactly proving her point,” Astrid bit. “She learned what we had a long time ago. And how were we to explain her return?”

Spitelout grit his teeth before throwing his axe to the ground. Then he turned and left, not caring about the rest.

“Don’t worry about ‘im.” Gobber nudged her arm. “You’re doing good. Keep going!”

“Well,” Astrid played with her fingers. “Valka was the one that taught us about alpha dragons. They’re the leaders, the chiefs of the nest. The one that Valka lived with was this huge white dragon, with big tusks, and it sprayed ice instead of fire!”

A sound of awe rose from the crowd. No one had ever heard of an ice breathing dragon!

“I met him,” she said. “So gentle for being so big. I think he was bigger than the one we saw this morning. But Valka explained that these huge dragons have the ability to…control other dragons. She theorized that Berk had a nest close to it with a dragon just as big and powerful. We didn’t know how to defeat it…so we decided to find it and study it for weaknesses. And that brings us to this morning.” Astrid swallowed the lump in the throat, now realizing all that had happened to Hiccup in the span of a few hours.

The sight of his leg—

“Hiccup and Toothless would follow dragons retreating from the raid to see where they went. He was just supposed to locate it, but…well, he’ll have to explain the rest.”

“So now what?” Asked Axel. “That beast is still alive. It’s on our island now!”

People started calling for action and protesting. Panicking and bickering.

“Everyone stop!” Astrid shouted.

Toothless sleepily sat up and sent a harmless blast up to the ceiling. It exploded in dazzling blue and purple light, with a bang to silence everyone.

“Thank you Toothless,” she nodded to him.

He hummed before taking another fish and settling down.

“I think we’re okay,” Astrid soothed. “Valka and Hiccup will know more, but…I think Toothless usurped the alpha, and now…he’s in charge.”

Slowly, heads turned to stare at the sleeping dragon. He laid awkwardly on his side, one leg up in the air, and tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“All hail the king of dragons?” Gobber shrugged

—

After Astrid’s reveal of everything, people seemed to calm down, at least a little.

They were still passing glances back and forth as dragons moved through the village, but for the most part, it was business as usual. It was time to start rebuilding. Folks took stock of what repairs were needed. Axel spent overtime working in the mill, and Gobber in the forge.

The chief’s house was quiet. No words from Stoick or Gothi. No good news, no bad news. So perhaps all there was to do was keep busy, try and make sense of the chaos.

But everything changed the next morning.

When the sun rose, the roosters made their daily chorus. A cacophony that awoke most of the village.

Then came the rumble.

The whole village shook before a horrendous roar filled the air.

Astrid clambered down her steps, fighting to get outside, only to see her neighbors frozen in horror, staring at the mountain.

The behemoth was emerging from the volcano, claws scraping the surface of the rock as it slid on its belly into the ocean.

Bells started clanging, and horns sounded as the beast deformed the water and moved towards the village.

“It’s coming for revenge!” Someone shouted.

“Where’s the Nightfury!? Someone get the Nightfury!”

“We’re doomed!”

“Odin preserve us!”

Astrid was stuck trying to make sense of it all. Was the old alpha coming back to challenge Toothless again? Was this round two?

Her heart slowed its frantic beating as she saw Toothless slinking out of the Great Hall, where he had slept all day and night. He yawned and stretched, and was overall totally unbothered.

“Wait!” Astrid called, trying to calm everyone down.

Toothless roared, though it wasn’t nearly as loud as the one he had yesterday, or even the call of the behemoth.

The old alpha surfaced at the cliff face, right where it had dropped Hiccup and Toothless off the morning before. It leaned in—

And dumped a ship’s load of fish right on the village square.

Then it made a chuffing sound at Toothless before returning to the ocean and swimming away.

Once gone, folks came out of hiding and stared at the strange offering.

Toothless barked again, and patted over to the pile, beginning his breakfast.

Slowly, from where they had been roosting for the night, from the forest, to the cliffs, about two dozen dragons came forth. Stormfly and Cloudjumper and the arena dragons among them. They all swarmed the pile and feasted.

Finally, there was some movement from the chief’s house as Valka ran out, wide-eyed and startled, then she spotted the pile of fish and started laughing.

No one else could even breathe.

“Oh it’s alright!” She waved her hands about. “A good alpha provides for their flock! Since Toothless isn’t able to collect this feast on his own, he had to get a little help.”

Astrid was more interested in the way Valka carried herself. She was relaxed and smiling. That had to be good! Hiccup had to be—

“Val?” Spitelout called, stepping around the dragon frenzy. “My sweet sister, is that you?”

Her face hardened, almost instantly, as she snapped back, “Aye.”

“Oh Val…I missed ye so much.”

“Oh really?” She crossed her arms. “And that’s why you tortured my husband and son?”

Spitelout went pale as a sheet. “Th-that’s not…”

“Oh I know all about it! And don’t you dare act like I don’t!” She stomped towards him and poked him in the chest. “You tried to take away his chance for happiness. You broke his heart! Why do you hate my son?!”

Spitelout put his hands up, and started backpedaling. “I don’t! He showed his capabilities in that fight with Snotlout in the ring! And well—” he gestured out to the ocean. “With this whole business.”

“Oh so now he’s worthy of your affection?”

“Well, yes—”

She put her hands on her hips.

“No, I mean, no!”

“Spitelout, I’ll never forget what you said to me when he was born. Do you remember?”

Spitelout swallowed. “Unfortunately.”

“You said that if he died, it was no big deal. The next one would be stronger. Do you remember that?”

Spitelout winced away and looked sheepish. Astrid didn’t know he had that in him. “I only meant…you know, he was Stoick’s first born. He needed to be strong…”

Valka, having spent the last fifteen years around the dragons, had not had the practice of solving disagreements with diplomacy, instead, attempted to end the argument the only way she knew how.

She screamed at him, and then leapt, tackling him to the ground.

Astrid had wanted to ask her how Hiccup was doing, but seeing the sibling reunion, she opted to just go see herself.

She headed up the hill to the chief’s house, where the door was still swinging slightly open from Valka’s hasty departure. Dread pooled in her gut. She wanted to see Hiccup, see that he was okay, but she wasn’t sure if she could bear to look at his leg.

Or what was left of it.

She knocked timidly at the door. “Hello? Chief? Can I come in?”

“Aye, lass,” Stoick answered, sounding far too subdued for her liking.

She pushed open the door the rest of the way, and found them. Stoick’s bed had been brought to the center of the room, and Hiccup laid upon it. Stoick was at one side, while Gothi stood at the other.

“I wondered when we’d see you,” Stoick said, softly.

But Astrid was too drawn to the figure on the bed.

He was able to keep two inches below the knee. Just enough so he could bend his leg like normal. His thigh almost up to his buttock was scarred all around the outside, or would be scarred when it healed. Right now, it was slathered in salve and wrapped in gauze. Gothi had to scrape the burnt flesh away.

He had a blanket draped over his lap and good leg, but the bad one was visible, in all it’s gory detail. The bandages did a lot, but they were still saturated with yellow and red blotches.

“It was a huge break that Val had made that jacket for him. Gothi said that was the only reason he survived. The skin of his hands, ears, and back of his head is all burned, but more like a bad sunburn than the blackened char on his leg,” Stoick explained.

Indeed, Astrid could see the red and blistering skin on his hands as they rested on his stomach.

“The impact from the beast’s tail caused some bruising on his ribs, and probably a bump on the head, but thankfully nothing worse.”

Nothing worse. Like losing his leg wasn’t that big of a deal.

“Why did it have to happen to him?” Astrid blurted out, still frozen at the end of the bed. “He’s…the kindest, funniest, smartest, most loveable boy in the whole world. He’s the best of us, and…” she sniffed. “Why did this have to happen to him?”

“Now dear,” Stoick stood and put an arm on her shoulder. “Gobber was right, you know. There’s been worse. And since he’s so young, he’ll probably adjust to it better than the others.”

So young. Astrid stared at her Hiccup, her husband as he rested. He really looked too young. Covered in ash and bandages, sinking into the blankets and pillows…he really looked too small. Too frail.

Valka returned a moment later, nose bloody and covered in dirt and grass.

Stoick balked at her. “What happened to you?”

“I had a…discussion with my brother. He’ll be over to apologize later.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “You went to make sure there was no dragon emergency, only to come back with your brother’s pride in hand. You haven’t changed a bit.”

“I had to make sure he’d behave when Hiccup was awake,” she argued. “He’ll need all the family support he can get, right Astrid?”

Astrid jolted out of her reverie when her name was spoken. She had been thinking through logistics, how he’d get upstairs, or how they’d get the bed down.

Likely, he’d be staying here for a few weeks.

“Oh—yes!”

Stoick smiled at her, gently. “Now Astrid, if it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Would you mind sittin’ with your husband for a few hours? I have got to make sure the village is recovering after…all that.” He gestured outside. “And Val hasn’t slept since the raid.”

“I’m fine, Lover,” Valka argued.

“Oh I’m sure you think you are, but why don’t you go over to their house and get washed up? Eat a little, take a nap. Hiccup’s bound to be asleep for a few days more.”

Valka didn’t look so sure, and glanced at Astrid.

“I’ll sit with him,” she assured. “I’ve been worried sick, honestly.”

“There, ya see? Astrid’ll be with him.”

Gothi nodded, pleased that she wasn’t needed anymore. She handed over a piece of paper to Astrid before giving her an uncharacteristically maternal pat on the shoulder and hobbling out of the house.

Astrid glanced at the paper, wondering what it could be.

For the first two weeks, apply salve to burned area twice a day. No weight is to be placed on the amputated leg. The following two weeks, apply salve once a day. Light weight training is encouraged. One month after, apply as needed. It will be best for Hiccup to try to get up and about, but he should take breaks.

No flying for 6 weeks!!!

Ah, a care guide. It seemed simple enough, but the ‘no flying for six weeks’ was absolutely going to kill him. Or Toothless.

That means she’d probably have to figure out a way to fly him if Gobber could even rebuild the tail rig.

Or, Toothless would just have to go stir crazy until Hiccup could get up. She imagined him trying to work in the forge in a wheelchair.

He was certainly crazy enough to try.

A moment later, she looked up and realized she was alone. The others must have slipped out while she was distracted. No matter.

She opted to sit beside him on the bed, instead of the nearby chairs. The salve was on the bedside table, in a large canister. She decided to pass the time by smearing some on his less severe burns.

She scooped up a little in her fingertips, then gently dabbed it on his hands.

His hands that were so small compared to hers. And despite that, they had created so much. They had made a dragon able to fly again. They built a home for her, and the ring she wore. They knocked Snotlout out, and somehow cleverly stole her heart.

And he did it so effortlessly.

“....mm…dad?” Hiccup roused slightly, his throat dry and his eyes barely open.

Astrid gaped. He was not supposed to wake up for several days still. But she wasn’t complaining! She thought of something clever to retort instead of just flinging herself on him and weeping.

“Does this touch feel like it could belong to Stoick the Vast?”

His eyes closed again. “You’re right…not calloused enough.” He moved his hand over, searching for hers.

She noticed and delicately held his fingers.

“I’ll have to thank Odin later,” he croaked. “For letting my first dream be of my beautiful wife.”

Astrid ran her thumb over his knuckles. “You aren’t dreaming, babe. You’re awake. You’re okay.” She felt a lump forming in her throat.

He was quiet for a while, and Astrid wondered if he had fallen back asleep. Finally, he breathed out. “No, you’re right. I’m remembering the dream where Toothless and I ate a yak together. This makes more sense.”

She chuckled, and raised his hand to kiss his delicate fingers. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Like…80 percent intact, right?”

Astrid slammed her eyes shut. A part of her wanted to pretend like his leg wasn’t gone. Like that would all come later, and telling him about it would come later too. But it seemed he remembered.

“Thought so.” He chuckled darkly. “I knew this would happen to me. Not tough enough to enter Valhalla, not favored enough to come out unscathed.”

“Don’t say that,” Astrid sobbed. “You just ended the war between vikings and dragons. It’s because of the gods’ favor that you get to see it.”

He peered a sleepy eye up at her. “And you don’t mind having a cripple for a husband? I’m not going to be able to do anything for you for a long time. You’ll have to carry me, dress me, bathe me, maybe even feed me—”

Astrid fell on top of him, burying her face into his chest and hugging him with all her strength. “I don’t care. I’ll do all of it. I just want a husband that’s alive. I want you, Hiccup. However much of you there is, I want it, and I’ll cherish it.”

“That’s…so sweet. But could you cherish it with…a little less muscle?”

“Tolerate it.”

“Okay.”

Still teary-eyed, she let go, and pushed up to look down at him. The redding of the face made her think that she really had hugged him too hard.

“I didn’t hurt you too much, did I?” She asked, realizing she was close to his injured leg.

“No,” he chuckled. “I was kidding. If you crushed me to death in one of your bear hugs, it wouldn’t hurt at all, and I’d die a happy man.”

She gently cupped his cheek, aware that some of that skin was burned. “I’m serious though, Hiccup. We’ll get through this together. The only part about your leg that bothers me is the pain it has and will cause you. I don’t want that for you.”

He gave a wry smile. “If you’re there to kiss it better, I’ll be fine.”

“I better get started then,” she said huskily, leaning in.

She captured his lips in a fervent kiss, so filled with love and relief. He weakly met it, but she could tell he was on the brink of falling back to sleep. She delivered a few more pecks and then pulled away. “I’m proud of you.”

He had both eyes closed, but answered, “for completely messing up the plan?”

She scoffed. “What plan? We didn’t know how to defeat that thing. But you did it.”

“Toothless did it,” he reiterated. “I just steered.”

“He needed you. I saw him protect you. You gave him the confidence to go up against that thing. You guided him. You were his strength.”

Hiccup’s mouth flexed as he mulled her words over.

“This was just as much you as it was him. Never forget that.”

“...is Toothless okay?”

“Yeah,” she petted his hair. “He’s tired, and he’s been sleeping a lot. Kinda like you.”

“You should have seen him, Astrid. He flew so hard, so fast. He was so scared, but he did it.”

“And you weren’t scared?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I peed my pants.” He chuckled. “I was so sure I was going to die.”

“But you didn’t. You’re home. And you get to think about what’s next.”

“Next?”

“Yeah! Now everyone can have a dragon! We just have to teach them how.”

He yawned. “Sounds exhausting.”

“I’ll get started on it. Lighten the load for Berk’s hero.”

“Berk’s hero? I kinda like the sound of it.”

“Yeah? Well don’t let it go to your head.”

He curled his fingers around her hand, happy to have her close. “I promise, I won’t.”

“Hey, I’ll let you get back to sleep, okay? Just rest.”

He pouted. “Can I get another kiss?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you can have another kiss.” She leaned over and smooched him.

“And you’ll stay here with me?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

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